ECU-06 Uranus
ECU-06 Uranus (Enhanced Custom Unit model 06: Uranus) is a powerful combat unit created by Eon-Power Contracting, and a successor to VCM-03 Poseidon. It is piloted by Will Sampson and the A.I.U. Neptune. History Design Designed as a successor to the VCM-03 Poseidon, Uranus was constructed to follow Poseidon's design of multi-purpose combat in all forms of environment and terrain, with a focus on high speed maneuvers and reaction time. However, Uranus was also designed to address many of the flaws in Poseidon's design, which had become apparent over time and painfully obvious in its battle against the ARM units, specifically ARM-01 Zeus. Those flaws were actually the very basis of Poseidon's design, lacking any specialty or notable performance in any specific field outside of speed, relying on said speed and pilot innovation to take down other specialized units. Because of this, a unit capable of both matching Poseidon's speed and outperforming it in another area (specifically offense) could easily overtake and defeat the unit. It was this flaw that lead to Poseidon's eventual destruction. Because of this, Uranus was constructed with the intent of both surpassing the speed of Poseidon and matching the performance of specialty units in other areas of combat, making it a truly powerful machine. Unlike the other units of the ECU line, Uranus was not built from scratch. Rather, Uranus was built from the frame of the ETS-01 Variant Gundam. The Variant Gundam in itself was a prototype unit, with much potential that couldn't be unlocked due to limitations in funding and technology. However, when put to use as the basis and frame for Uranus, that potential was brought forth in full, resulting in an a very powerful Gundam. The biggest aspect of addition was its engine; while the other ECU Gundam use Twin Rotation Hydraulic Graviton Engines, Uranus instead takes it even further and uses a Triple Orbit Hydraulic Graviton Engine, further boosting its performance and capabilities. In terms of raw data and schematics, Uranus' design greatly improves on Poseidon's, taking notes from many of the other VCM Gundams to address Poseidon's flaws. Its armor has been built from the same materials as that of Aphrodite and Ares, while being refined and specifically built to withstand any form of environmental hazard with even greater ease than its predecessor. Its radar and weaponry take notes from all of the VCM units, specifically Athena, Ares, and Hermes. Supplemental defense and stealth measures were also taken from both Ares and Hermes, making full use of Uranus' enhanced performance to improve the effectiveness of said systems. The biggest additions to Uranus' design however, was the addition of binders connected to the shoulders. Built of even stronger armor than the rest of Uranus (along the lines of Rhea and Pallas), these binders were specifically designed as additional defensive measures to fit into Uranus' flexible combat methods, which was formerly focused into offense. These binders not only enhance Uranus' performance even further, but also allow much more aggressive combat tactics due to their utility in both defense and attack. Exploration Mode The successor to Poseidon's Traverse Mode, the Exploration Mode was not given as much emphasis in Uranus' design, due to the difficulty of altering Variant Gundam's frame to be capable of transforming. Nonetheless, the Exploration Mode was given a great many improvements over the previous Traverse Mode, primarily in sheer performance. Speed and evasion have been utterly maximized; while Uranus can reach hypersonic speeds (Mach 5-Mach 10) at full thruster mode, the Exploration Mode has been designed in such a way that it's capable of reaching high-hypersonic speeds (Mach 10-Mach 25) at base form, while reaching re-entry speeds (Mach 25 and higher) while in full thruster mode, outpacing virtually any other Mobile Suit. It is only through Uranus' design, with emphasis on environmental endurance and pilot control, that it can maintain near-perfect control at these speeds. The Exploration Mode has also been given improved combat effectiveness, with a variety of weapons usable in long and close range combat, allowing for prolonged dogfighting if necessary. Armaments Mobile Suit Mode *'Shredder Missile Launchers' :Installed in the upper back of the unit, the Shredder Missiles Launchers are direct upgrades to Poseidon's previous Concussion Missile Launchers. Taking inspiration from the effectiveness of Ares' missiles in contrast to Poseidon's, Uranus' missile launchers were upgraded to instead use the very powerful shredder missiles Ares and Pallas use. Not only are the launchers usually concealed, but they are also connected to robotic joints, allowing them to raise over the shoulders of Uranus. In contrast to the previous missile launchers, which were used only for suppression fire, these versions are completely capable of taking out entire enemy squadrons on their own, each missile launcher capable of firing 16 shredder missiles per round, three rounds per each launcher. *'Hyper-Frequency Radiation Blades' :Stored in sheaths on Uranus' forearms, the Hyper-Frequency Radiation Blades are the successors to Poseidon's High-Frequency Blades. Besides having a different appearance (being two-sided blades instead of Poseidon's one-sided swords), these swords have been drastically improved upon and upgraded. Making use of the incredible success of the "Acid Weapon" series featured in Ares, Aphrodite, and Artemis, Uranus' blades have been installed with generators that use the same irregular energy, coating the blades in the energy. This takes the anti-beam coating of Poseidon's blades and makes it redundant, as Uranus' blades can genuinely and freely cut through incoming beam projectiles and weapons. If that weren't enough, the rate of vibration has been improved upon as well, giving the blades such improved cutting power that the vibrations alone allow the swords to match the aforementioned "Acid Weapon" series. Combined with the irregular energy coating and its acidic properties, these blades have truly unrivaled cutting power, rendering virtually any defense- physical or energy- useless. The new positioning of the blades also allow Uranus to draw its weaponry much more quickly than its predecessor, and the sheaths can even open up, allowing the blades to be drawn in a reverse-grip. However, the sheaths themselves are also actually quite sharp, capable of being used to attack and defend on their own. However, aside from being made of the same material as the rest of Uranus' armor and frame, the sheaths themselves have no special property to improve their offensive use. *'Alternating Variable Weapons' :Installed in the forearms of the unit, the Alternative Variable Weapons system has been improved upon for increased versatility and power. Beyond each of the original weapons being upgraded or improved upon for greater effectiveness, additional weapons have been added to address flaws and weaknesses in the design of Uranus' predecessor Poseidon. The weapons installed on the unit are: ::1) Triple Barreled Mini Gatling: An improved version of the previous Dual Barreled Alternating Beam Gun, which has increased firing speed and precision, in addition to greater attack power despite the weapons small size. ::2) Condenser Cannon: Taking inspiration from Ares' Super Compact Energy Condenser Cannon, this version replaces the original High-powered Energy Cannon, with greater power per shot due to the increased energy stored in each round. Due to improvements in the design, the Condenser Cannon does not suffer from a reduced rate of fire in comparison to its predecessor. ::3) Compact Magnum: The successor of the High-pressure Plasma Beam, which takes its cues from the Modified Submachine Guns used by Athena and Hermes. While lacking the rapid fire of its inspiration, the Compact Magnum exchanges this for even greater power in comparison, and even then has a greater firing rate than the previous Plasma Beam. ::4) Precision Beam Gun: A new weapon in the AVW system, the Precision Beam Gun is essentially a miniature sniper rifle. Designed to compensate for Poseidon's vulnerability to sniper attacks, the Precision Beam Gun allows Uranus to snipe enemy units as well. While lacking the power of full-sized sniper rifles, the weapon has enough strength to inflict knockback on a well-armored enemy unit, and can be used for high-precision shots against weaknesses in armor. *'Concealed High Frequency Blades' :Successors to the previous Concealed Vibration Blades, the Concealed High Frequency Blades are a pair of narrow long-swords, one in each forearm of the unit. Besides being longer blades compared to their predecessors (allowing for greater attack range), these swords have had their vibration frequencies ramped up to match the frequency of Poseidon's High-Frequency Vibration Blades, giving them cutting power equal to that of Poseidon's main melee weapons. Despite the new design making the blades thinner (but no less durable), each has a slit in the middle of the blade, allowing them to be used to catch enemy weapons just like the originals. *'Folding Swivel Buster Lasers' :Installed on the waist and stored on the lower back, the Folding Swivel Buster Lasers are the successors to the previous Compact Swivel Laser Rifles. At first glance the Buster Lasers appear to be smaller and more compact than their predecessors. However, they lack none of the original fire power, and have even been upgraded for an increased firing rate, making the Buster Lasers more effective weapons. The true nature of these weapons however, is that they are capable of "unfolding", revealing themselves to actually be somewhat larger weapons than their predecessors, the most noticeable chance being longer barrels. In this form, each of the Folding Swivel Buster Lasers release extremely powerful blasts rivaling that of a Megaparticle Cannon. What makes these blasts especially powerful is that when completely unfolded, the blasts use irregular energy, making the blasts extremely destructive and powerful. The Buster Lasers are specially designed to absorb all the recoil of their blasts, allowing them to be fired even when Uranus is in the midst of high speed maneuvers. *'Ampere Brass' :The successors to Poseidon's Charge Knuckles. Installed in the knuckles of Uranus, the Ampere Brass are revealed to actually be very sharp knuckle spikes when active. Not only do these spikes allow each punch to deal damage to an enemy on their own, the Ampere Brass can release even greater amounts of electricity into a unit than the original Charge Knuckle, causing even greater damage and disruption in an enemy units circuitry. In fact, the Ampere Brass were designed to improve on this very function; digging into an enemy units armor, then releasing high volts of electricity directly into its systems. *'Beam Sabres' :Like Poseidon, Uranus is equipped with a total of four Beam Sabres. In this case, one pair is stored in the waist, while the other pair are stored in the collar area of Uranus' armor. The Beam Sabres have basic improved functions like longer charge life and being capable of altering their length, but beyond that lack unique features themselves. The position of the handles however, allows them to be drawn much faster and more readily. *'Vulcan Cannons' :Two pairs installed in the forehead of the unit, the Vulcan Cannons have been improved upon with a greater rate of fire and the capability of actually damaging enemy units on their own, rather than being used simply for defense. *'Calamity Palms' :Installed in the palms of Uranus, the Calamity Palms are drastically upgraded variations of the original Pulse Wave. Of all of Uranus' weapons, the Calamity Palms are quite likely the ones to receive the biggest upgrades in terms of overall performance and capability. The Calamity Palms are capable of acting as a much more effective means of defense, releasing energy in sustained waves to act as a barrier against even the strongest incoming attacks. However, in terms of offense they have been granted even greater power; the Calamity Palms are capable of releasing shockwaves of energy with explosive force, capable of easily blowing off a limb or even completely destroying an enemy unit with a single shot, even a heavily armored one. This increase in offensive power also has the side effect of allowing Uranus to knock back enemy units even if they're not at point-blank range. The shockwaves can also be focused so as to generate various effects in the environment, such as launching a powerful concussive blast of air, launch a shockwave through the water towards a target some distance away, and even send tremors through earth, powerful enough to shatter meteors larger than the unit itself. *'Concealed Thruster Daggers' :Concealed in the waist, chest, shoulders, and thighs of the unit, the Hidden Throwing Daggers of Poseidon have been greatly enhanced and improved. For one, the Daggers have thrusters installed in their handle guards, allowing them to travel much faster and with much greater accuracy, allowing for precision strikes even at a distance away. What's more, each dagger has a mini-generator installed that coats the blade in irregular energy, giving even these small blades incredible piercing power. On top of that, these mini-generators can be pre-programmed to explode or set off at the will of the pilot, turning these daggers into precision weapons of great destructive power. *'Recoil Blaster Kai' :Installed in the clavicle of the unit, the Recoil Blaster Kai is also concealed in the units frame, much like the Shredder Missile Launchers. When revealed, the Recoil Blaster Kai's are shown to be surprisingly small. However, the small size is a great deception in itself, as the Recoil Blaster Kai's have improved power output compared to the originals by 50%, making these small laser blasters extremely powerful and quite dangerous. An improved design removes the intense recoil of these weapons, but Uranus cannot move at high speeds while firing, and the Recoil Blaster Kai's still suffer from a prolonged recharge time, albeit shorter than that of the originals. Most significantly is the fact that these versions do not hamper Uranus' movements after use. *'Beam Trident' :An upgraded version of the previous trident used by Poseidon, the Beam Trident used by Uranus has received several upgrades, the most notable being the quantity; instead of one Uranus is capable of using two Beam Tridents. This is due to the fact that although not vastly upgraded themselves, the handles of the Beam Sabres are capable of extending; once two are connected they extend to the full length of a trident. Combining this with the positioning of the handles, Uranus is able to make and draw its Beam Tridents much faster, particularly due to the fact the extension (which takes notes from Artemis' Bo Staff) and beam activation have been drastically improved. With this, Uranus is capable of wielding two Beam Tridents at once to great effect, even spinning one of them to block incoming beam fire (due to improved durability and I-Field generation). *'Harpoons' :Upgraded versions of Poseidon's original Harpoons, Uranus instead has four installed in each wrist. Made out of the same materials as the previous ones (though with improved ratios for greater balance and durability), the harpoons have also been installed with mechanisms that allow them to be launched, then open their hooks after impaling an enemy. The harpoons are also launched much faster and have much greater range than their predecessors. Perhaps the biggest change however, is the fact that the Harpoons are now fully capable of releasing powerful electric charges, in and out of water, making the Harpoons much more effective as actual methods of attack, rather than the pure capture capabilities of the originals. *'Torrential Backlash' :Uranus' strongest weapon, as well as its answer to Poseidon's original Recoil Blaster. Drawing energy directly from its Tripe Graviton Hydraulic Core, Uranus focuses that energy through its arms and into its Calamity Palms. The energy is then released in an extremely powerful, highly concentrated blast of gravitational energy. The blast is extremely powerful and destructive, and has twice the power of the Recoil Blaster Kai's; this equates to 200% the power of the original Recoil Blasters. The size and concentration of the blasts can be adjusted due to the Calamity Palms' functions, allowing for either destroying multiple targets, or completely erasing a single enemy. Due to the sheer amount of energy used, Uranus has been installed with an automatic failsafe that prevents prolonged and excessive use of this function. It is through this failsafe that Uranus is capable of functioning at full capacity after using this attack; repeated use would quickly hamper performance of the Mobile Suit. *'Concentrated Penetrating Rifles' :One installed in each of the binders, the Concentrated Penetrating Rifles are long-ranged beam weapons. Each installed with individual micro-generators, these weapons convert the energy from the micro-generators into irregular energy for high-powered piercing shots against heavily armored enemies. These rifles are able to fire under multiple settings; either rapid fire for quickly striking down multiple enemies and projectiles or concentrated singular beams to slice and sweep through units. In addition, the irregular energy can be concentrated into something of a blowtorch/beam saber, when said binders are being used as more traditional shields, for use in close combat. *'Articulated Beam Joints' :One installed in each of the binders, these joints are visually basic joints complete with claws. While simple, these joints are made out of extremely durable materials, fully capable of being used for extended times in combat. Installed in the claws of these joins are Beam Sabers that run off the same energy as the Concentrated Penetrating Rifles, giving them a great amount of cutting power. Exploration Mode *'Dual-Barrel Penetration Cannon' :Installed in the nose of the unit, the Dual-Barreled Penetration Cannon fires two beams of irregular energy, the two beams fusing together into one larger blast. The Dual-Barreled Penetration Cannon carries a high degree of destructive power, the large diameter of its blast making it all the more lethal to enemies, as well as difficult to dodge. *'Shredder Missile Launchers' :Shared with the Mobile Unit mode, these launchers can rotate 180 degrees, allowing it to face both forwards and backwards. This in itself is a big improvement compared to Poseidon's missile launchers, which could only fire forward. *'Articulated Beam Joints' :Installed in the base of the units nose, the articulated beam joints allow Uranus to be involved in melee combat even in Exploration Mode, or if need be grab and carry various objects. *'Folding Swivel Buster Lasers' :Installed at the top of the unit and shared with the units Mobile Suit form, these weapons are the primary means of attack for Uranus while in this form, and carry their full functionality between transformations. System Features *'Seraph System' :The "Seraph System" is the propulsion system for Uranus, massively upgraded from Poseidon's original main thrusters. Rather than having a single pair of large, articulated thrusters, the Seraph System is made up of eight smaller, more compact thrusters. The thrusters are arranged in such a way that the top pair is aimed directly up, the one diagonally upwards, the next one diagonally downwards, and the bottom pair directly down. Besides being much more compact and sleek, the positioning of the thrusters allows Uranus to quickly react and/or change course, even in the midst of a heated battle. However, the sleek appearance bellies incredible horsepower, each thruster being roughly as powerful as the ones equipped to Poseidon. In reality though, the Seraph System allows Uranus to far exceed the speeds Poseidon could reach even with Synergy Fusion enhancements. By entering a "full thruster" mode, in which the thrusters open up and expand, Uranus is able to reach such intense speeds that it's capable of leaving after-images in its wake. Each thruster can angle itself approximately 45 degrees from side to side, and can turn up to 90 degrees to face directly backwards. This articulation allows Uranus to quickly change its direction at a moments notice. *'Solid Energy Radar' :One half of the signature system feature of Hermes, installed in Uranus so as to supplement its basic radar system. Just as with Hermes' P.H.A.N.T.A.S.M., Uranus uses advanced energy distribution based on sonar technology, releasing energy waves in regular intervals to generate "solid energy" imagery, allowing Uranus to locate items and units even if they're cloaked or otherwise concealed. As it is only one half of the original system, Uranus' systems are not over-taxed when using the Solid Energy Radar. *'Disruptor Shield' :Inspired by Ares' original Disruptor Shield, Uranus' makes use of irregular energy waves as it forms a spherical barrier around itself to block incoming projectile attacks and damaging nearby enemies with lighter armor. In addition to the original design, the energy is accelerated and put into rotation, increasing its effectiveness against both energy weapons, solid weaponry, and even enemy units. *'Light Refraction Camouflage' :A very unique and powerful cloaking system installed in Uranus and copied from Hermes, which bends and refracts light in such a way that Uranus is rendered completely invisible to both the naked eye and the basic function of visual scanners. A very powerful stealth mechanism, this allows Uranus to move completely unseen, prime for escaping from sight and taking part in stealth operations. However, the Light Refraction Camouflage does not hide Uranus from the view of thermal systems or other such radar detection methods. However, Uranus' Triple Graviton Hydraulics Engine allows Uranus to use this feature without inhibiting its performance or combat abilities. *'Enhanced Targeting System' :Enhanced over normal targeting systems, Uranus' enhanced targeting system shows the purity and ratios of the materials an opposing unit(s) is made out of, weaponry equipped, system features installed in the unit(s), weak spots in unit(s) schematics, and detailed performance statistics. *'Flares' :Inspired by the original flares from Poseidon, these flares are stored in the shoulders and lower legs. Rather than the original, these flares not only release radio waves, but also high amounts of energy matching that generated by Uranus' core, causing targeting systems in enemy units and incoming projectiles to confuse the flares for Uranus, and release EMP flashes with greater range and power. *'Multi-Visual Scanner' :Used via the eyes, this function allows Athena to scan for multiple signs of enemy activity or hidden enemies. *'Binders' :Installed on the shoulders, the binders are the most striking change between Poseidon's appearance and Uranus'. Each binder is installed with miniature graviton hydraulics engines, independently fueling the equipment and armaments stored within the binders. Each binder has dual graviton thrusters installed, allowing them to be used to drastically increase Uranus' movement speed. Connected to the shoulders by small joints, the binders have surprising mobility and articulation, able to rotate a full 360 degrees if required, and as such do not inhibit unit movement whatsoever. These binders can be controlled by both the pilot and the Artificial Intelligence Unit, allowing the A.I.U. to use the binders to deflect or counter attacks too fast for the pilot to react to. When not under manual control, the binders will automatically move and react to the Gundam's movements, preventing them from getting in the way of the unit's movements or attacks as if they weren't there in the first place. A notable aspect of these binders is that they have been designed for additional unit defense, and as such have been made of even more powerful armor than Uranus itself, comparable to that of both Rhea and Pallas. However, the biggest aspect is a revolutionary defense mechanism designed to block both solid and beam weaponry; a "Destabilizing Vibration Mechanism", which vibrates the metal of the binders to high degrees. Unlike the offensive use in bladed weaponry, this defensive use allows the vibrations to block both beam and solid weapon attacks, even those with a high degree of power. Each binder is installed with visual sensors and all of Uranus' radar systems, preventing them from being used as blind spots, and even giving Uranus a near-360 degree view. In addition, these binders can detach from Uranus' shoulders and be wielded as more traditional shields, all functions remaining operational due to the binders' micro-generators. Finally, these binders form the nose of Uranus' Exploration Mode. *'Void Screen' :Installed on the inside of the binders are eight adjustable smoke dispensers, designed in much the same placement of the Seraph System. These smoke dispensers release thick black smoke to hide Uranus from view. However, the smoke is filled with nanomachines that absorb both radar and energy, essentially generating a "void" that radars cannot see through, creating a blind spot in enemy radars which Uranus can use to either attack or escape. The Void Screen can also be used for offensive combat, firing projectiles (which are usually crushed, releasing the smoke and nanomachines in a pressurized manner) at enemies. When they explode, the enemy is rendered totally blind, and easy prey for the speedy Uranus to attack. Due to the energy-absorbing nature of the nanomachines, the Void Screen also grants some defense against beam weaponry by weakening their power, though it is not anywhere near an absolute defense. Special Features *'Synergy Fusion Burst' :A program installed in Uranus to take full advantage of Synergy Fusion. When Synergy Fusion activates, Uranus' coloration becomes white with gold high-lights, and its V-fin transforms into an appearance similar to the ridges of a crown. Synergy Fusion Burst takes the power of Synergy Fusion, then focuses and enhances it. This is done by doubling a portion of the energy back into Uranus' core, drastically increasing output and performance even beyond normal Synergy Fusion effects. In order to prevent overloading its systems, all of Uranus' other weapons are rendered non-functioning, the only weapons remaining functioning being Uranus' Calamity Palms. The energy is released from the Calamity Palms and proceeds to completely cover Uranus' hands. However, Uranus is capable of controlling this energy to great effect, using it to fire projectiles of various sizes and speeds, or concentrating it into very powerful blades for close-range combat.